Soda fountain sirup rail



J1me 1954 J. A. MAXWELL 2,681,549

SODA FOUNTAIN SIRUP RAIL Filed Oct. 4, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l I s: 505%, i I a): 49 l l 45 V i g g; 5| x 2 I i: 52

I I i Fig 6 IN V EN TOR.

June 22, 1954 MAXWELL 2,681,549

SODA FOUNTAIN SIRUP RAIL Filed Oct. 4, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SODA FOUNTAIN SIRUPRAIL John A. Maxwell, Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Application October 4, 1947, Serial No. 777,907

3 Claims. 1

This. invention relates to the syrup rail assemlily of my soda fountainwherein the manufacture of the stainless steel top capping is describedinmy copending application Serial No. 761,466 filed July 17, 1947.

It is the object of my invention to produce a syrup. rail that can beeconomically produced and is. convenient to the dispensing of sodafountain. drinks and can be easily and thoroughly cleaned.

A second object of my invention is to produce a syrup rail that iscooled with a minimum amount of power expenditure.

A third object of my invention is to provide a syrup. rail that isartistic in design and yet is efficient in operation and can beeconomically constructed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is, an isometric showing of my syrup rail as constructed andassociated with my top capping for a soda fountain unit.

Fig. 2. is a cross section of the syrup rail along the line 22 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is. a side view of a container to be mounted in. and forming apart of my syrup rail.

Fig. 4 shows the detent means of fastening the cover on the containersforming a part of my syrup rail.

Fig. 5 is. .a detail of the specific cover for the syrup containers forsundaes.

Fig. 6 is a. cooling unit for my syrup rail.

My soda fountain top capping 1, formed according to my copendingapplication, has the upwardly and forwardly inclined flange 2, adepressed area 3 and a ridge 4 extending around the front and sides ofthe top surface of the top capping as fully described in my copendingaplication. As described therein, the upwardly and forwardly inclinedflange 2 terminates at the top in a curl 5 which forms the lower supportfor the rectangular syrup dispensing units 5, including container 6',and the top capping is completed by the top back panel 1 and the rearend panels 8, which are flanged over at 9 to fill in the space betweenthe curl 5 and the top back panel 1. The rear of the top back panel 7 isflanged over at In (Fig. 2) and the rear end panels 8 are flanged overat H for fastening on the rear panel I2. The top back panel 1 is flangedover at its front side at I3 which flange is again flanged over at M.Centrally located in the opening between the curl 5 and the rear toppanel 1 is the draft station 15. This draft station separates twoopenings 16 and I1. Opening I6 may be used for the syrup dispensingunits i 6 and similar containers with hinged tops, to be describedlater, for syrups for sundaes may be located in opening I1.

Located in the space formed by the upwardly and forwardly inclinedflange I, the top back panel I and the rear panel I 2 is the container18- to receive the syrup dispensing units 6 and the syrup containerslocated in opening ll.

Container l8 extends the entire length of the syrup rail and isseparated from flange M by a heat insulating strip l9 and fastenedthereto as by bolts. Similarly it is fastened to curl 5 by heatinsulating strip 20. In the bottom of container It is connected a drain2| to facilitate cleaning.

The container 6' is formed as shown in solid line in Fig. 3 andprotuberances 22 are pressed out so as to rest on curl 5 and a break 23,formed in flange l3.

For fastening on the cover 26 of the syrup dispensing units grooves 23are formed on each side of container 6 and corresponding grooves 24 areformed on flanges 25 of cover 255 so that grooves 24 can be moved intoregistration with grooves 23 and hold cover 26 firmly in place as shownin Fig. 4. Cover 26 is formed to extend over curl 5, as shown at 2! inFig. 2, so as to form a continuous contour including the top back panel1, container cover 26 and the upwardly and forwardly inclined flange 2.The space 28 formed by this extension permits grooves 2t to be movedinto and out of registration with grooves 23 in container 6'.

The containers for the syrup for the sundaes are formed the same ascontainers 6 except that they are preferably not formed as deep. Thecover 30,. shown in Fig. 5, is used to cover this container instead ofthe cover 25 shown in Fig. 2. This cover is in two sections, 3i and 32,the forward part 3! being connected to the rearward part 32 by the pianohinge 33. Formed in flange 34 of the rear section 32 are the grooves 24which can be moved into registration with grooves 23 in container 6 andretain the rear section 32 firmly in position on container 5'. Theforward part of this cover is formed with the inwardly curved notch 36to form a handle so that the forward part of the cover 3| can be liftedand rotated around piano hinge 33 to the dotted position shown at 3!.

For insulating the syrup rail, I provide a heat insulating material 31between the rear panel 12 and the container [8 and the heat insulatingmaterial 38 between the upwardly and forwardly inclined flange 2 and thecontainer is. For

cooling the syrup rail to prevent fermentation of the syrups, I providea cooling coil 40 along the forward side of container I8 located asshown in Fig. 2. In my preferred form, I press a strip of stainlesssteel in the form of a coil 41, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and seam weld itto the forward part of container I 8 at 42, 43, and 44. To the ends ofthis coil are connected the pipes 45 and 46, which are connected to therefrigerating unit in the soda fountain base 41 located under the sinks48.

Fig. 6 shows an alternate form of my cooling coil. In this form Iprovide a base strip 48, to which is fastened a strip pressed to form acoil 49 by seam Welding at 50, 5|, and 52. This unit is then located inthe same position as shown for coil 4| and the base fastened tocontainer l8, as by brazing.

I have found that by locating my cooling coil so that it imparts thecooling effect directly to the syrup in container 6 by a metal to metalcontact that I can maintain the syrup at the necessary temperaturewithout maintaining the area 53 at a greatly reduced temperature such asis customary practice where the cooling coil is located in space 53.This eliminates the tendency for the top rear top panel 1 to sweat dueto the conduction of heat along flanges i3 and I4.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A syrup rail for a soda fountain cabinet comprising an upwardly andforwardly inclined flange projecting above the top of the forward partof said cabinet, said flange terminating at its top in a rearwardly anddownwardly formed curl, a top back panel located rearwardly and abovesaid curl providing an elongated forwardly inclined opening between saidtop back panel and said curl, a downwardly rojecting flange on theforward side of said to back panel, an elongated container located belowsaid opening having its rear upper edge connected to said secondmentioned flange and its forward upper edge connected to said curl, aback panel for said syrup rail connected to the rear of said top backpanel and extending downwardly therefrom, an insulating material betweensaid back panel and the rear side of said elongated container andbetween the forward side of said elongated container and said upwardlyand forwardly inclined flange.

2. A syrup rail for a soda fountain cabinet comprising an upwardly andforwardly inclined flange projected above the top of the cabinet, saidflange terminating at its top in a rearwardly and downwardly formedcurl, a top back panel located rearwardly and above said curl providingan elongated forwardly inclined opening between said top back panel andsaid curl, a downwardly projecting flange on the forward side of saidtop back panel, an elongated container for receiving syrup dispensingunits located below said o ening having a rear edge disposed adjacent tothe top back panel and a forward edge disposed adjacent to said curl,means for chilling the container so as to cool the contents of syrupdispensing units disposed therein, and heat insulating means interposedbetween and separating the container from said curl and said top backpanel preventing sweating of said curl and parts of the cabinet adjacentthereto and of said to back panel due to chilling of said container.

3. A syrup rail for a soda-fountain cabinet having a container thereinprovided with a metallic downwardly and rearwardly sloping'fiat wallforming a support for a syrup container, a syrup container having a flatforward wall lying against and supported by the sloping wall of saidfirst container, the front wall of said syrup container bearing againstand having metal-to-metal contact over substantially its entire areawith the sloping wall of said first container, means in heatexchangerelation with the lower portion of the sloping wall of said firstcontainer forming conduits for liquid refrigerant and adapted to chillthe contents of the syru container supported by said wall, and meansinsulating said first container from adjacent parts of the cabinet andpreventing said adjacent parts from sweating due to chilling of saidcontainer by said refrigerant.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 253,796 Wenther Feb. 14, 1882 1,283,330 Sebring Oct. 29, 19181,321,731 Gill Nov. 11, 1919 2,008,202 Cullen July 16, 1935 2,102,209McDannold Dec. 14, 1937 2,157,154 Tweed May 9, 1939 2,170,604 CreesyAug. 22, 1939 2,291,256 Rehrig July 28, 1942 2,327,406 Dukehart Aug. 24,1943 2,343,717 Turnau Mar. 7, 1944 2,531,323 Connell Nov. 21, 1950

